The engaging Broncos defensive lineman, whose real name is Terrance Knighton, was putting on a show for the 600 or so reporters on hand at the Prudential Center on Tuesday, even suggesting that his 6-foot-3, 330 lb. frame should not be underrated when it comes to a footrace.

That being said, who would win a sprint between Knighton and his teammate, star quarterback Peyton Manning?

“Me. Probably by a few yards,” he chuckled.

Yes, Pot Roast has a sense of humour.

But will he have enough beef to stuff Lynch come Super Bowl XLVIII on Sunday?

He might have to.

Because, when everything is stripped down to simple X’s and O’s, this game could come down to Pot Roast vs. The Beast.

Whichever player wins the battle in the trenches likely will go a long way in determining whether Knighton’s Broncos or Lynch’s Seahawks get to smear their fingerprints all over that glistening Lombardi Trophy.

But before we examine that key matchup, let’s get to the bottom of the two nicknames.

Lynch is called “The Beast” because he runs like one, attempting to steamroll anyone who gets in his path. Case closed.

But “Pot Roast?” What’s the deal?

“It was on a flight coming back from Seattle my rookie year in Jacksonville,” Knighton explained. “It was a six-hour flight. Guys were tired. The plane was dark and the lady was walking down the aisle, saying, “Pot roast? Pot roast?’

“And I’m like, ‘Right here.’ And I put my hand up.”

Oops.

“My teammate behind me said, ‘You say that like that’s your name?’

“He said, ‘I’m going to call you Pot Roast from now on.’ I said, ‘Yeah, whatever.’

“So it stuck to me.’”

Knighton admits it could be worse.

“At least it wasn’t Shrimp Alfredo.”

For a guy carrying a moniker like that, he hasn’t eaten the stuff very much in his life.

“I’ve only had pot roast twice,” Knighton said. “My rookie year in Jacksonville. And the second time was last week when I took the whole defensive line out to a Denver restaurant. We had pot roast and egg rolls.”

Hopefully his teammates picked up the tab. Knighton, after all, deserved to have his bill paid for after turning in one of the key plays in the Broncos 26-16 victory over the New England Patriots in the AFC title game, sacking Tom Brady on a fourth-down gamble in Denver territory.

Given his newfound fame, you would think some kind of meat-related company would have worked out an endorsement deal with Pot Roast like the one Lynch just received from Skittles.

Because Lynch is known for his penchant of gulping down the colourful candy during games (before and after them, too), the Wrigley’s-owned brand is introducing a limited-edition “Seattle Mix,” which features the blue and green colours of the Seahawks. Starting Wednesday, fans can bid in an auction for the special Skittles prior to the Super Bowl, with proceeds going to Lynch’s charity, the Fam 1st Family Foundation.

Keeping that in mind, surely the advertising world can find room for Pot Roast.

“Maybe I can get a Chunky Soup commercial or something like that,” Knighton said. “Who knows?

“There’s a lot of things you can do with pot roast. Hopefully, somebody can come up with an idea and I’m open to it.”

Contain Lynch on Sunday, and he’ll certainly open some eyes, both in the football world and the corporate sector. Stopping The Beast is the No. 1 priority of the Broncos. It has to be.

“We’re going to have to do a good job on first and second downs of limiting Marshawn and forcing (Seattle QB) Russell Wilson to beat us with his arm,” Knighton said.

If that happens, Knighton will have the opportunity to rush the passer. Cue the endorsement deals.

“If I get a sack this game I’ve got a little special sack dance and hopefully that gives some people some ideas,” he said, obviously giving potential advertisers out there a heads-up.

When all was said and done Tuesday, Knighton came out ahead in the PR battle with Lynch on media day. He’ll look to do the same on the football field come Sunday.

ELWAY BACK FOR MORE

NEWARK, N.J. — John Elway is one greedy hombre.

After losing his first three appearances in the Super Bowl, the Hall of Fame quarterback posted back-to-back victories over the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons in football’s biggest spectacle.

Opting to go out on top, he retired more than a decade ago after winning that second Super Bowl ring.

Now he wants a third one, this time as an executive.

And, given the way he was able to woo then-free agent Peyton Manning during a wild recruiting sweepstakes that involved at least five other teams a couple of years ago, don’t bet against him.

“It would be a huge feather, but that is why I came back to work for the Broncos,” said Elway, the Broncos president, on Tuesday. “I want to compete for world championships.”